Para - Pro Custom 16.40

45 for me · Oct 17, 2013

This has not come out yet, but the Pro Custom 14.45 (14 round mag or 45acp) has. Street price appears to be about $1200. Expensive, but seems to be a pretty good value for what you get. The 16.40 (16 round mag of 40SW) looks like it could compete with the STI type high capacity, competition featured 1911 models.

I actually found this by clicking on a banner ad here, so maybe everyone knows about this already, but I think I may have to pick one up when they come out. I have a Para frame custom race gun, and had a stainless p14 (pre ban) and it was a decent gun for the price.

I will say that the p14's had a reputation for being finicky about the mags, but the old p16's were pretty solid.

PARA: Custom 16.40

PuddleMonkey · Oct 18, 2013

I like the idea of a double stack 1911, but Para hasn't been able to prove them reliable.

45 for me · Oct 19, 2013

PuddleMonkey said:
I like the idea of a double stack 1911, but Para hasn't been able to prove them reliable.

Yes and no. The P14's work perfectly with the right para magazines. Which is a crapshoot. So if you are willing to spend some money on mags that you may toss or only use at the range, and spend the money to fire enough rounds to know which is which, you will be fine. Granted, that is pretty lame. At least the price on them is half what an STI mag is, although the STI guns are more reliable.

The p16's and p18's didn't seem to share that problem though. In fact, for a while, STI made the mags for the p16.40's. They were much more rare, so maybe I just haven't heard about the issues. The lower price points for the mags and guns vs. STI or SVI might be worth a little tinkering. If you modify the mag catch on the p16's you can even use an STI mag that was for an STI gun.

orygun · Oct 20, 2013

I owned a P12 for years. Bought it before they came with a 12 round mag and only 11 round mags were made. Then they changed the floorplate and made them hold 12 rounds. (just giving a little background as to how soon I bought one after they were released) I only used Para magazines. I remember in the early-mid '90s paying $64 a piece for them!
I have experience only with one gun, but here's a couple of things I noticed in the several years and 2-3 thousand rounds I put thru it.
Most of the ammo was cast bullet handloads. The only time, and I mean ONLY time there was a feeding issue with this gun was when a friend limp wristed it. Once he held onto the gun firmly, it was perfect.
The only issue with the gun happened at about the 1,000 round mark. There was a timing issue with the firing pin safety. Para fixed it for free and it chewed thru the rest of the ammo I fed it like a hungry dog!

I'm not in the market for another 1911, but if I was, I'd not shy away from a Para double stack.

Oh, and a FPS is not an option on my carry gun! I learned that... (yes, a 1911 is my EDC)